Sawtooth Hatchery chinook trap #'s

[SalmonRiverID]

The Sawtooth Hatchery IDFG Staff today began posting the daily cumulative chinook numbers on their Facebook. As of today, here is what they said,

"Hello Facebook Friends! I will now be doing a daily update of how many Chinook are caught in the trap. As of today we have caught 482* Chinook (430 Hatchery and 52 Natural) *This number is provisional and may be subject to change."

We asked the Staff to begin daily updates on the chinook numbers. We're hoping they also include the daily trap number in addition to the cumulative number. Anyway, it's quite a refreshing development to get the numbers so quickly. The numbers do show up on the IDFG website but there is often a time lag, especially on the weekends.

We've been told the Sawtooth Hatchery brood stock goal is 900-950 fish. It seems the cumulative tally is moving along pretty quickly. We're going to inquire tomorrow as to what happens if they reach their brood stock goal and there's still plenty of fish in the river. We'll keep ya posted.

In the meantime, here's the Sawtooth Hatchery's Facebook address:

https://www.facebook.com/sawtooth.hatchery
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[dtayboyz]

And not one so far to salmon falls creek or rock creek. The poor sturgeon are starving.
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[cpierce]

Na, you guys just keep feeding those sturgeon trout morts, and they will be just fine.
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[jigs]

wow!! I remember 2 years ago seeing them check the first fish june 28th! Any chance of a late season if they get there numbers early? I will be up there Friday!!! I am wanting to check out the burnt area any suggestions were to head other than the yankee fork?
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[SalmonRiverID]

[quote jigs]wow!! I remember 2 years ago seeing them check the first fish june 28th! Any chance of a late season if they get there numbers early? I will be up there Friday!!! I am wanting to check out the burnt area any suggestions were to head other than the yankee fork?[/quote]

Thanks, Jigs. Well, you can bet I will be working the phones as soon as the IDFG Boise Staff opens up the switchboard this morning. It seems mighty early to have 500fish already. If the brood stock goal is less than 1,000 and they are trapping 40-50 fish a day, they should be at goal on or about July 4. Just an uneducated guesstimate but sure make everyone wonder, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, those road that go up into the forest north of Stanley would be my first place to visit. I'm real interested in seeing how the fire approached the Doc Day Cabin. Basin Creek Road would also be a good one--the fire burned super hot in Basin Creek and I'm real interested in seeing just how scorched that portion of the forest actually is. Taking a look at Doc Day and Basin Creek would be my first two places to go.

We did actually get a mushroom permit in Challis last week. Oddly, you can't get the mushroom permit in Stanley. Man, we'd sure love to pick a peck o' morels! We've heard the cool weather and dry conditions have knocked back the mushrooms and it's slim pickin's so far. We're thinking the upcoming hot weather will really jump start the morels. Sure would be fun if the mushrooms were plentiful AND there was a chinook season at the same time, eh?

Many Cheers! jp
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[jigs]

buttered shrooms and smoked salmon...[angelic]
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[phutch30]

Another thing you guys have to remember is they don't usually spawn the first 900 fish they get to reach their hatchery requirements. They take a component of the entire run up to when spawning begins. So even if they get 900 adults by july 1, they wont (unless they fall short) necessarily use all those fish for spawning. They will continue to collect a segment of each weeks returns and keep them for brood stock. This method allows for maintenance of the entire run i.e early, mid and late returning adults.

Based on pitt tag returns over the lower dams there isn't a very large component coming back this year. In my opinion it would be very tough to manage a fishery for a few hundred "extra" adults.

Plus whether anyone likes it or not. tribal gets first dibs on any extra fish due to treaty rights
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[STEELHEADKID]

I talked to one of the bios last night that plays a big role in setting the seasons. He told me even if sawtooth got a grip of fish they wont open it. 2nd the latest this fishery will ever run for sport harvest is August 10th as they don't want any incidental sockeye catches. Bum deal but as many of us know salmon runs are cyclical and we've been blessed with consistent fisheries for quite some time now.
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[jigs]

[quote STEELHEADKID] Bum deal but as many of us know salmon runs are cyclical and we've been blessed with consistent fisheries for quite some time now.[/quote]

+1
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